Life outside of war is comforting, but I'm far from it. They told me life is going to be better, but I don't see it
There are scenes I don't want to relive, yet those I do. Maybe it's the thrill
or the regret that I felt.
I was told to write down my thoughts. It was nothing new to me; writing my thoughts down is something I've done since my time as a combat medic. At the time of writing this, a lot has happened in the past three weeks, but I don't know where to begin. I guess we can start two weeks before the incident.
My name is Sato Kenji, and I'm thirty-one years old. A year ago I became a doctor as a surgeon. And at this time I lost my job over a dispute with my boss (I punched him in the face). The way he was running the hospital. The harassment of his staff and patients was just unacceptable. The staff was very supportive when I left.
Without a stable income, I have to move out of my apartment. The thought of disappearing from the face of the earth came to me, but I decided not to let my parents worry.
Moving back to the countryside felt like a dream. Seeing the old house stay the same even after my deployment, my mother still has her collection of glass figures by the dining table, the same dusty couch, the family portrait of me and my older sister, Aki graduating from high school (she was born in December so we started school together)
Lying down in my own bed felt nostalgic. The all-nighters, the hangout, the first kiss. After unpacking, I found one of my old decks that I used to play with my friends back in middle school. I'm not sure if it was nostalgia or just wanted to talk to someone.
Calling my friend David (A friend since daycare) to see what he is up to. He had a lot of things to say; he is working as an accountant, making a lot of money, married, and now divorced. David offers to go out and grab some drinks with him, but I still have to settle down for a bit, so I hold off until the weekend.
Hanging up the phone, I see my mother outside my room with a concerned look on her face, but she is a ghost in my mind and always sees her before leaving. The same year I was deployed, she passed away, and that was the last face she made before I left.
Having dinner with my father was awkward. The silence was deafening, the last time we talked was after becoming a surgeon. There's really nothing to talk about other than hunting. Luckily, the home nurse broke the silence when her shift was over and asked if I could handle it. (I nearly laughed after hearing that, after all I did carry my fellow soldiers out of the field.)
My father asked what my thoughts were of the nurse. Saying that she was nice, but that was not the answer he was looking for. I really don't know much about her. The first time we met was interviewing different nurses with my sister when he had back surgery two months ago.
After helping my father get to his room. Sitting on the foot of my bed, looking at my dog tag. Thinking about the comrades that I lost, in that moment something touched my shoulder. Instinctively getting up, I try to grab my gun on my side, but luckily for my widow, it wasn't on me. That uneasiness never goes away.
It was Saturday, and I went for my morning runs, seeing the same field and running on the same dirt roads. For twelve years, really, nothing has changed. After an hour, I came home and saw my father on the front porch enjoying his cup of coffee. Walking up the porch the same memory pops into my head.
When I was eight years old I got lost in the forest. Waking up alone in the middle of the forest, I wandered for hours until I came across a large tree. Waiting felt like an eternity.
I heard a voice call out to me, asking if I was lost. Looking up, I see a woman in a white dress and a sun hat, but oddly, I can't remember her face. Afraid, but I asked if she could help me get home. She let me ride on her back to carry me out of the forest.
The last thing I remember is falling asleep on her back and waking up on the porch while my mother was holding me and crying, for my disappearance for ten hours. Looking back on it, that was my first encounter that I had with the other world
I met with David at a local bar, seeing old faces really brings back memories. The big hair he had said he was not going to cut, is now short and maintained.
He showed me a picture of his son, and he wanted to take him hunting. It was deer season, so I offered to take them out for hunting next weekend. He was really glad to hear that we were hunting again, the last time we hunted was before graduation.
I spent a few days fixing up the old truck that my father had used for trips like these. My sister came to visit (she is a defense attorney). She wants to talk about how the case was dropped, due to having overwhelming evidence against my boss. (I can't wait to see her reaction after giving the rest of the evidence to the feds)
Walking near the wheat field like we always do. Aki wanted me to find a new job, but I just smiled and told her about the hunting trip and that I could sell two deer. (She didn't like that and punched me for it.)
I understand what she's coming from, Aki paid for most of the medical bill. With my resume I can get a job easily, so telling her I can get a job by the end of the month made her happy.
Before Aki left, she announced that she was getting married. My father asked about her fiancé as if it were an interrogation, while I was sitting there wondering who was marrying a hard head. I am talking about the same person who threw a rock at my head, for saying her taste in music is garbage.
The day of the hunting trip was anything but ordinary. Taking David and his son Luke to the forest after researching bear sightings. I would rather not deal with them, but we still have to be cautious.
Unloading the truck, David asked me if he should teach him about firearms. I give him a dumbfounded look, like Who is being some along without teaching them safety first, let alone if they are going to let them use it or not.
I told him to teach him the basics of hunting before teaching firearms, but make sure to set up for him. He liked the advice and left to talk to his Luke,(while I double checked David's gun to make sure that they were real and not rocks painted over). Seeing my mother before roaming in the forests gave an uneasy feeling.
As time passed, David actually taught Luke proper hunting techniques like tracking the deer footprints and not a wild boar, and gave him a pair of binoculars for scouting.
Luke managed to find a herd of deer by the lake. Crawling along the side, we managed to get close to the deer, putting on our headphones, and getting ready to fire.
With a deep breath, I took the first shot, killing one, as they began to scatter. David followed it up with two more shots, getting another deer.
Walking back while carrying our prize, Luke looked like he had to use it. David and I agreed we should meet up halfway. David handed his deer over, and I carried it the rest of the way.
Placing the two deer on the bed of the truck, I saw something that made blood turn cold. Claw markings on the tree.
Running towards David's direction, trying to warn him about the bear in the area. Hearing Luke scream.
I arrived seeing David face down and Luke petrified. Now I have seen different bears before, brown bears, black bears, polar bears, but this bear on its four legs was easily ten feet tall with white fur with red patches.
Taking my rifle as the bear came closer, and opened its jaw to Luke. Take the shot, the bullet bounced off, and the bear turned its head to look at me.
The bear was chasing me, there was no way I was going to outrun it. That was fine if luring the bear away from both would buy enough time for the rangers to get here, but I highly doubt they can take something like this on.
Using the trees as cover and turning corners to hopefully slow it down, but no luck. The bear smashed through the tree and made its turn without losing momentum.
Eventually, I heard rushing water, knowing the terrain, which meant a river was nearby, and it led to a waterfall.
Taking the risk, moving toward the river, I turn around and fire another shot at the bear, this time hitting it in the eye. The bear stops and screams in pain. Running towards the edge of the waterfall, the bear continued to chase me as I hoped.
Taking the shot, I managed to hit it on its other eye, completely blinding the bear. My plan was for the bear to fall over and slide off the waterfall, but the bear didn't yield, and was still charging and slamming into me. We both fell off, and into the lake below.
The bear was sinking into the lake, while I was struggling to swim. A strong current pulled and dragged me deeper into the lake.
I was getting disoriented, not sure which way up or down. Looking around, I managed to see something that resembled a light shining, swimming towards it, surfacing, and gaping for air.
Opening my eyes, and seeing I was in a laminated cavern. Getting out of the pool and trying to stand up, but the state I was in, limping, was the only thing I could manage.
Stumbling around the cavern, only hearing water drops, and the sound of my own footsteps. Seeing a white specter, I decided to follow it.
As it guides me throughout the cavern passing other pools and ledges. It led me to the exit.
Walking passed the specter to step out of the cave, but the forest was completely different. Instead of pine trees, there were oak trees, and it seemed to be spring instead of winter. Turning around to see the specter, but it was gone. I end up passing out.